CHARGERS: Spanos integral to keeping L.T. in San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- The relationship between Dean Spanos and LaDainian
Tomlinson goes farther than football.

The Chargers' president and star running back play golf
together. Their families are close. A true friendship has developed
between employer and employee, one that started when Tomlinson was
drafted in 2001 and continues today.

That's why Spanos wanted to tell Tomlinson early this offseason
that his future was in doubt without a restructured contract.
That's why Spanos called Tomlinson on Tuesday afternoon with news
of a new three-year deal that would keep him in San Diego.

Spanos wasn't just a messenger in this negotiation. He got
involved.

"If there's anyone you would do anything extra for, L.T.'s the
guy," Spanos said. "Because of who he is and what he's done for the
franchise, you have to consider that. It's not just his ability.
It's also emotional from my perspective because I'm a fan like
everybody else. There was more emotion invested, so yes, I was more
involved."

Spanos sat in on negotiations between assistant general manager
Ed McGuire and Tomlinson's agent, Tom Condon, offered opinions and
greased the wheels to complete Tomlinson's deal.

"The negotiation itself was very short," Spanos said "There were
some initial talks and a lot of thought went into the proposals
from both sides. When we sat down and started negotiating, I was
there with Ed and there were several points that we talked about.
Ed asked me what I thought, and I said, 'Let's do this.' From
there, everything happened very quickly."

Spanos' extra effort was not lost on Tomlinson, who wanted to
remain in San Diego.

"I really appreciate the role Dean played throughout this
process," Tomlinson said Tuesday in a statement. "He made it work
for everyone, and I appreciate his friendship more than he
knows."

Friendship aside, Spanos simply wasn't ready to let the face of
his franchise walk out the front door.

"He's been the heart and soul of this team since he's been here,
but he's also the main reason why we've been successful," Spanos
said. "He's been a great representative for the franchise, but we
also believe he's still one of the premier backs in this league. It
was important to keep him for both of those reasons, which were the
driving force behind why we needed and wanted to get this deal
done."